A 49-year-old man who police said opened fire after approaching an officer in Pine Bluff early Saturday was found dead in his cell at the Jefferson County jail on Wednesday.
Robert Jones was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 9 a.m, according to a news release from the Jefferson County sheriff's office. The cause of death isn't yet known, and officials have requested that his body be sent to the state Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Jones, who lived in Pine Bluff, was arrested Dec. 9 on a charge of aggravated assault after officers were called to the intersection of 18th Street and Cypress Drive to investigate reports of a person with a gun.
After police arrived, a man, later identified as Jones, approached an officer and fired multiple times before fleeing to the unoccupied side of a duplex at 1721 W. Circle Drive, authorities said.
Attempts at negotiating with Jones were met with shouts and expletives, according to a news release from the Pine Bluff Police Department. As a special weapons and tactics team prepared to use tear gas, Jones knocked out a window and fired at least one shot, police said.
Jones surrendered after the residence was gassed, according to the release.
